Implementing SANE programs in rural communities

This replication guide highlights one region’s efforts to address the difficulties of starting and sustaining SANE programs in rural areas. Under the leadership of the state sexual assault coalition, the West Virginia Foundation for Rape Information and Services (FRIS), four counties in north-central West Virginia implemented the Regional Mobile SANE Project, using on-call SANEs to serve multiple hospitals.3 This guide was developed to help other rural regions decide whether a mobile SANE project, customized to their local needs, might be a viable option. To that end, it focuses on the process used to plan and implement the West Virginia project and the lessons learned by FRIS and other stakeholders. It also provides a checklist for replicating the project and access to materials developed during its implementation.